Jamieson, Robinson headline 16-wicket opening day mayhem

Overcast skies, a seaming wicket and a 16-wicket opening day. It was a day to be a bowler at Lord's as England responded with six wickets of their own after being bowled out for 140 by New Zealand on Day 1 of the first Test on Thursday. It was a storied comeback for Kyle Jamieson and Ollie Robinson, both of whom marked their return to Test cricket having last featured in February 2024.

New Zealand captain Tom Latham won a crucial toss and unleashed his four-man pace attack. Jamieson was the wrecker-in-chief as he combined extra bounce with vicious seam movement to break the back of England's batting lineup. A friendly full toss gave Emilio Gay his first Test runs in the form of a boundary but Jamieson redeemed himself quickly enough as the left-hander nicked one that straightened off the pitch to Daryl Mitchell at first slip.

Contrary to England's Bazball ways, they could only manage 24 runs in the first ten overs. The visiting seamers used the slope to great effect, often beating the bat with lateral movement. A rain interruption forced Lunch to be taken early before New Zealand's pace attack was reduced to three men as Matt Henry didn't take the field with back spasms.

It had little effect on how the rest fared though. Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell were both beaten on the inside edge to be dismissed legbefore. While Duckett was stuck in his crease to give Nathan Smith his first, Bethell played well outside the line of a full ball from William O'Rourke as New Zealand reviewed successfully to reverse the on-field call. O'Rourke soon landed the killer blow as Joe Root poked at one that rose with extra bounce in the channel, edging behind for 1 as England were reeling at 33/4.

Harry Brook took eleven deliveries to open his account, with the seamers keeping him in check with control and a surface that continued to aid seam movement. Latham set attacking fields at the end O'Rourke operated from, deploying a short leg and a leg gully. Brook got off the mark with a boundary through cover point but Devon Conway spilled a regulation chance at backward point to hand the former a lifeline on 8. Jamie Smith's promotion over Ben Stokes began poorly as he shouldered arms to a length ball from Jamieson that jagged back in spitefully to flatten his off pole.

Brook counter-attacked along expected lines, driving and pulling the ball at will, while Stokes pocketed a couple of boundaries of his own. Just when a useful stand seemed to be in the works, Jamieson induced the outside edge of Stokes' bat as Kane Williamson clung onto a diving one-handed catch to his right at third slip. Brook received another lifeline on 45 as Rachin Ravindra shelled a straightforward chance at deep square leg. The right-hander got to his half-century but soon ran out of luck, picking up a length ball on the pads and finding long leg. This was shortly after Gus Atkinson missed another in-ducker from Jamieson by a considerable distance to be trapped LBW.

Bad light forced the players off the field as Tea was called, with the resulting break proving to be an hour long owing to another spell of rain. Jamieson took just two deliveries to bag his fifth wicket as Ollie Robinson feathered one on the inside edge to the 'keeper with New Zealand reviewing successfully again. Shoaib Bashir and Josh Tongue added some useful runs, forging a 22-run 10th wicket stand before Nathan Smith had Bashir edging the ball to third slip as England folded for 140.

England's riposte with the ball was even more severe. Leading the way was Robinson, who responded with immaculate use of the wobble seam in his very first over. The moment he hit the inside edge of Conway's bat twice, Stokes duly deployed a short leg and a leg gully and immediately after, Conway missed a flick and was adjudged LBW. Williamson was beaten first ball before he got an inside edge onto his pad before Gay pouched the ball at short leg. Robinson wasn't done though, producing another in-ducker to trap Ravindra in front for a golden duck with ball tracking confirming that it would've clipped the stumps, capping off a triple-wicket maiden.

It went from bad to worse for New Zealand as Atkinson had Latham plumb in front - a reward for disciplined bowling even as yet another batter was beaten on the inside edge. Mitchell pummeled a short ball from Robinson to the fence for New Zealand's first boundary but an error in judgment saw him leave one in the corridor, handing Robinson his fourth as the ball hit the top of off. Josh Tongue then got into the act, sending Tom Blundell's off pole for a walk for his 50th Test scalp to leave New Zealand in tatters on 29/6.

It meant that Glenn Phillips had little choice but to counter-punch. And he did so effectively, even as the England seamers helped his cause by erring a fraction short and wide, or too straight. Phillips cashed in on the opportunities to take New Zealand past 50. It helped that he hogged majority of the strike during his stand with Nathan Smith, currently an unbeaten 32 for the seventh wicket, before the fading light meant that Stumps were drawn with New Zealand trailing the hosts by 79 runs after a day of mayhem.

England 140 (Harry Brook 56; Kyle Jamieson 5-62, Nathan Smith 3-38, William O'Rourke 2-25) lead New Zealand 61/6 (Glenn Phillips 31*; Ollie Robinson 4-10, Gus Atkinson 1-8) by 79 runs.